Southwest Florida’s Secret Escape! Experience Less Crowds And White Sand Beaches

Well…Google Maps and Apple Maps caved, so it appears like we’re right here to speak in regards to the “Gulf of America”.

Politics apart, “the Gulf”, because it’s mostly identified, has lengthy been an iffy go-to for vacationers who usually go for California’s Pacific blue paradises and Florida’s Atlantic turquoise every time they will, fairly than the same old brackish waters spreading from Texas to most of Alabama.

Near the Floribama line is the place we start to see situations extra harking back to the Caribbean, a far cry from Galveston and Biloxi.

The consultants at World Atlas just lately revealed the ‘Most Underrated Towns In Gulf Coast’ for 2025 with one unheard-of white-sand hideaway we right here at Travel Off Path had been ooh-ing and ahh-ing over, questioning to ourselves how we have by no means managed to trip right here.

It’s time to place the Gulf’s fugly stereotypes within the rear-view. Florida’s Gulf facet is a white-sand surprise teeming with famend seaside cities, but under-hyped Redington Beach has by some means slipped by way of the cracks.

So Long, Siesta Key! A New ‘Key’ Awaits

Located on the barrier island of Sand Key, Redington Beach is considered one of Southwest Florida’s final remaining hidden gems.

Last yr, we revealed Nokomis in the identical gentle, however now it is Redington’s time to shine.

Say goodbye to combating for area, grabbing a barstool at a sandy tiki shack, and witnessing manner too many retirees’ past-their-prime swimwear.

Unlike Siesta Key and Clearwater, Redington is the kind of place solely locals flock to flee, such locations that vacationers flock to yr after yr, and who can blame them?

Siesta Key and Clearwater discover themselves in an annual duel in a battle to be topped the very best seaside, however you are not sacrificing all that a lot by flipping the script to Redington this summer season.

Southwest Florida’s White-Sand Hideaway

As somebody who has visited Siesta Key, I used to be blown away from the second my group scored a entrance row parking spot in what appeared like a surprising shoreline straight out of the Bahamas.

But when you lug a cooler from the car parking zone by way of gentle white sand and uncover you are going to be eavesdropping on the discuss of the city on the retirement residence, whether or not you prefer it or not, it had me questioning if Siesta Key (and Clearwater) are the one pristine seashores within the space.

Circling again to Nokomis, the reply is not any — however Siesta Key undoubtedly deserves the accolades.

It additionally begs the query of why locations like Redington Beach aren’t family names.

Hate to interrupt it to you, however I haven’t got a solution as a result of every little thing I’m seeing is nothing however optimistic:

How uncommon is it to search out Florida shores the place you do not have to rise up manner too early simply to attain a parking area and a entrance row seat overlooking vibrant emerald waters?

Redington Beach is only one sq. mile in dimension, however that is ample area to take pleasure in additional elbow room.

In explicit, Archibald Beach Park holds a powerful 4.7 Google ranking in a world of whiners, so you recognize it must be high notch!

Just 2 days in the past, a beachgoer raved in regards to the park’s ‘powdery sand seashores!’, and acknowledged the seaside has ‘extra shells than you’ll know what to do with’.

Reaching Redington Beach

Despite being unknown to most, Redington is definitely very easy to succeed in, deepening the thriller of why it is remained beneath the radar.

According to Travel Math, there are 4 airports inside 100 miles of Redington Beach:

• Saint Petersburg, FL (PIE / KPIE) – 16 miles away
• Tampa, FL (TPA / KTPA) – 27 miles away
• Sarasota, FL (SRQ / KSRQ) – 43 miles
• Punta Gorda, FL (PGD / KPGD) – 102 miles (Okay, I could have stretched the reality a bit…)

Despite being probably the most linked of the bunch, it is stated that Tampa is considered one of America’s most unreliable airports. The different 4 may be your greatest guess.

Don’t consider me?

Read our characteristic on Punta Gorda as Southwest Florida’s new journey hotspot.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist primarily based in San Diego has visited 36 international locations and written over 1000 articles with a give attention to sharing his personal journey experiences and shining a light-weight on lesser-known gems.